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Westboro banned, LGBT museum, bird blame

By Project Q Atlanta | Jan 12, 2011 | 12:19 PM

Arizona bans funeral picketing in time to block Phelps clan, first U.S. LGBT history museum opens, Maryland poised for gay marriage, wingnut blames dead birds on DADT repeal, the anti-gay math on new Congress, and more LGBT headlines.

•Nation’s first gay museum opens in San Francisco. The 1,600-square-foot GLBT History Museum (top photo) opens Wednesday and chronicles the movement with displays from Harvey Milk’s pink-framed sunglasses to manuscripts and bar matchbook covers.

•HRC does the anti-gay math on 112th Congress. It was widely assumed that the Republican takeover would mean less gay rights support and action, but HRC sifts through individual members’ records. The report ranks 225 members of the new House as “anti-LGBT,” up 53 from 172 in the 111th House. The 112th House has 167 “pro-LGBT” members, 29 fewer than the 196 last year. HRC finds that the Senate’s 53–47 Democratic majority does not translate into a pro-gay-rights majority but rather an even 40–40 split.

•National Organization of Marriage targets Rhode Island. Amid a governor- and legislature-backed push to legalize same-sex unions in the state, NOM’s Rhode Island chapter launches a six-figure ad campaign against the idea. Remember: they and their allies succeeded with similar tactics in Maine last year.

•Anti-gay activist blames bird deaths on DADT repeal. Cindy Jacobs (bottom photo) said that when a nation makes a change against God’s principles, “nature itself will begin to talk to us — for instance, violent storms, flooding ... the blackbirds fell to the ground in Beebe, Ark. …” You’ll be amazed by her logic. It’s too funny not to watch the whole thing: